36 Hours in Turks & Caicos with...

36 Hours in Turks & Caicos with Vineyard Vines

We traveled to Turks & Caicos on a top-secret mission back in December, and I can finally announce the reason for our trip: We went with Vineyard Vines to do a photo shoot for their spring catalog! The company prefers to use “real people” in its catalogs instead of models, and we were honored to be chosen to be featured. We experienced an incredible Turks and Caicos fishing adventure, plus we enjoyed eating at one of the island’s best restaurants! Many thanks to Vineyard Vines for hosting us on this trip.

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Checking in to Somerset on Grace Bay

Our trip was brief but action-packed! We flew into Providenciales International Airport and stayed at the luxurious Somerset on Grace Bay. We were greeted in the lobby with cold towels and welcome drinks (fruit punch for the girls, rum punch for me and Serge) before being shown to our one-bedroom pool villa. At 1,500 square feet, it had a spacious living and dining room, a full kitchen, washer-dryer, a large master bathroom, two marble bathrooms, and a private terrace with pool views. The girls wanted to hit the pool and beach right away, so we changed into our bathing suits and off we went!

The pool area is beautiful, with an infinity pool that leads towards the ocean. The girls played while we enjoyed an early dinner at LunaSea Pool Bar & Grill. After that, we walked to the beach where we watched the sun set. The water in Turks & Caicos is truly spectacular, and Grace Bay Beach is considered by many to be the best beach on the island. We all had a great evening enjoying the soft white sand and breathtaking views, then headed to rest up for our big Turks and Caicos fishing adventure.

Photo: Carmen SognonviPhoto: Carmen Sognonvi

Our Turks and Caicos fishing adventure begins!

The next morning we met up with the Vineyard Vines production team for hair, make-up, and fittings, then we all packed into vans and headed to the marina. We boarded the Panoply II, a fabulous, 50 ft. Viking Sportfish that would take us on our first-ever deep sea fishing adventure. Delphine Hartshorn, owner of Panoply Sport Fishing & Luxury Charters, was our guide, along with Captain Bruce Barron and their amazing crew member, Tata. Everyone on this team is truly a Turks and Caicos fishing expert!

Ella was first up to try her hand at fishing, with Serge to help her with the fishing rods. I was expecting that we’d be waiting a while before there was any action, but within minutes they had caught something. We were all excited as they spun the reel faster and faster. When Tata pulled up the wahoo Serge and Ella had caught, we were all shocked by how massive it was! Ella freaked out immediately and started crying, and it wasn’t until we got off the boat that she recovered from the fear. We each took turns after that and all caught huge wahoos. It was so much fun! And of course, the Vineyard Vines crew was there to capture every moment of this Turks and Caicos fishing adventure on photo and video.

Photo: Vineyard VinesPhoto: Vineyard Vines

After we docked, Tata went to work on scaling and filleting the fish. He cut the wahoo into thin slices and drizzled some soy sauce over it. We all stood on the pier, eating this freshest-possible sashimi while enjoying the salty sea air. What a cool way to end our Turks and Caicos fishing experience!

Photo: Vineyard VinesPhoto: Vineyard Vines

Amazing lunch at Da Conch Shack

We then drove over to Da Conch Shack, a popular beachside restaurant near the main stretch of Grace Bay Beach. Da Conch Shack is known for serving up conch in a variety of creative ways. You can order a citrus-y conch salad, “cracked” conch (lightly battered), or in a flavorful curry. We especially loved the conch ceviche and stew. If you’re in need of an adult beverage, you can order rum drinks or the island’s locally brewed Turks Head beer. Stay for live music on Wednesday and Saturday nights! The girls loved watching the gentleman cracking open conches right there on the beach. There were several gentle dogs lying around the beach, too, which the girls had fun playing with.

Once we had wrapped for the shoot, we headed back to the hotel for some more pool time and dinner at a nearby local restaurant. The next morning, we sadly left our tropical paradise and returned to life as usual in the chilly Northeast. We’re so excited and grateful to have had this amazing Turks and Caicos fishing adventure with Vineyard Vines! This spring catalog will be such a fun way to preserve a precious family travel memory for years to come.

Have you ever tried deep sea fishing? Did your kids enjoy it?

Top Flight Family received complimentary airfare, accommodations, meals and activities. All opinions are our own.

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About Carmen Sognonvi

Carmen Sognonvi is a luxury family travel and lifestyle digital influencer at Top Flight Family. Her insights on travel have been featured in Wanderlust Travel Magazine, TravelPulse, HOTELS Magazine, Seatrade Cruise News and more. Carmen firmly believes that you can (and should) travel with your kids from a young age. She offers families practical solutions for travel, as well as tips on how to travel in luxury for less. She lives in New York City with her multiracial and multicultural family of four. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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